The arms of Port Louis

Port Louis' banking district, and the main avenue leading to the Government House (seen in the background)

Port Louis (pronounced locally as paw-louee) is the capital of Mauritius. It is a port on the Indian Ocean, and the nation's largest city and main port. It is located in the Port Louis District. The population is 147,688 (2003 census). Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Main street, Port Louis (taken by myself) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Main street, Port Louis (taken by myself) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Port Louis District is a district of Mauritius. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

Port Louis was founded by the French in circa 1735 as a revictualling halt for their ships travelling around the Cape of Good Hope, and was named in honour of King Louis XV. The first Governor was Count Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais. Events April 16 - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... The Cape of Good Hope; looking towards the west, from the coastal cliffs above Cape Point. ... Louis XV (February 15, 1710 – May 10, 1774), the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1715 until his death. ... Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais (comte de La Bourdonnais) (Saint-Malo, 11 February 1699 – Paris, 10 November 1753) was a French naval officer and administrator, in the service of the French East India Company. ...

Geography

The City of Port Louis is located at 20°10' South, 57°31'30" East (-20.1667, 57.525). [1]. Its localities include Plaine Verte, China town, Ward IV, Valle Pitot, Tranqebard and city centre. Port-Louis is capital of the District of Port-Louis.

Sights

Port-Louis has conserved many historic and colonial buildings through years. One of them is a fortification named Fort Adelaide or La Citadelle, built by the British in 1835. The latter dominates the city. From there, one can observe most of the city's architecture. Port Louis is surrounded by a mountain range, called the Port-Louis Moka Range. Among its most famous mountains are Le Pouce and Pieter Both which stand about 800 metres from sea level. One of the most popular spot, is the country's national derby called Champ de Mars, the latter is the oldest race course (1812) in the Indian Ocean and the second oldest in the southern Hemisphere. Other famous spots are the Police Barracks known as Les Casernes and the Port Louis Waterfront.

The Mauritius Institute, dedicated to the study of the island's flora and fauna, is in Port Louis. Citizens often climb up the Signaux mountain, which is a 3 km track, that leads 500 metres high. From there, one can appreciate the landscape of the City.

There are many different places to visit in Port Louis, including The Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis Bazaar and the Mauritian China town. There are also three museums to visit: Mauritius Natural History Museum, the Blue Penny Museum and the Mauritius Stamp Museum. There is also the biggest and oldest post office in Mauritius which is found near Caudan Waterfront. There is also the statue of Mahé de Labourdonnais at the Place d'Armes. The Natural History Museum from the south east The Natural History Museum, one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum), is home to life and earth science collections comprising some 70 million items. ...

Port Louis is the busiest city of the country. It faces heavy traffic congestion as there is only one motorway which leads in and out of the city. The busiest hours are 8am and 5pm, which roughly correspond to the working hours for the majority of enterprises. Parking is another big problem the city faces. The financial centre is also located there, with the Bank of Mauritius, the Mauritius Commercial Bank Ltd and the State Bank of Mauritius, all having their headquarters there.

The busiest street is probably Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Street, formerly known as Rue Desforges. It leads directly to the Municipality of Port-Louis, the Jummah Mosque and Kadafi Square, which is a hot place for local food. Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

There is also a Chinese Burial ground where elaborate memorials have been erected. Dead bodies are kept in the Kit Lock which is located in the Centre of the city.

Port Louis also harbours two major schools, the Royal college port louis and the Loreto College of Port Louis , Bell Village SSS and Moneron SSS. These are two of the best secondary schools of the country Royal College Port Louis The Royal College of Port Louis is a state owned boys high school located in Cassis, Mauritius. ...

Economy

The economy is dominated by its port, which handles Mauritius' international trade. The port was founded by the French who preferred Port Louis as the City is shielded by the Port Louis/Moka mountain range. Manufacturing is dominated by clothing and textiles, but also includes chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. Tourism is also important. The development of the Caudan Waterfront, central to Port Louis, with shopping and cinema facilities, appeals to tourists visiting the city. Port Louis is the second most important financial centre in Africa after Johannesburg. It is the city with the highest per capita income in Africa. Port Louis is home to the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport. This article is about the type of fabric. ... A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ... Plastic covers a range of synthetic or semisynthetic polymerization products. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmacon is drug, and logos is science) is the study of how chemical substances interfere with living systems. ... More than 3 million tourists visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, India in 2004. ... , City motto: Unity in Development Province Gauteng Mayor Amos Masondo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (IATA: MRU, ICAO: FIMP), also known as Plaisance International Airport, is an airport located in Plaine Magnien, near Plaisance and 26 nautical miles southeast of Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. ...

Demographics

The population of the city is now largely made up of the descendants of laborers who were hired for labor from India in the 19th century. Slaves were previously introduced by the British and French who colonized the island in the 18th century. After the abolition of slavery in 1835, many Indian and Chinese workers were brought to work the land, and cultivate sugar cane, at that time used to produce rum. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Caribbean rum, circa 1941 For other uses, see Rum (disambiguation). ...

Currently, the majority of the population, barely more than 50 percent, are Indians of mixed origins (a significant percentage being followers of the Hindu and Muslim faith), with the rest from Africa and a minority of Chinese and Eurasians. Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... The term Eurasian refers to the cultural ties and linkages between those in a wider view of the Eurasian continent, centering on the Silk Road, and Central Asia. ...